


What Friends Are For

by lunabelle



Series: AU One-Shot Collection [2]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, April gets in a tough situation, Best Friends, F/M, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Protective Andy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 19:51:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10043468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunabelle/pseuds/lunabelle
Summary: After Andy gets a late night text from April, he rushes to her aid.  After all, that's what friends are for.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Requested anonymously on tumblr. I'm going to classify this as a mini-AU, because it doesn't *quite* follow canon.

_“I need your help,”_ was all the text message said.

Andy sat up on his futon, the only piece of furniture in his tiny, sparse bedroom in the spare room of Burly’s house. It was half past midnight, a Friday evening, and he had already been half-way to sleep when the incoming message sound had woken him up. He tossed the thin, ragged quilt off himself and ran a hand through his hair.

Depending on who’d sent it, he’d sometimes go right back to sleep without checking what it said. This time he was wide awake, because this time it was from April. He texted back immediately.

_“Everything okay?”_

She only took a few seconds to reply. _“No.”_

Andy felt a cold dread creep up his spine as he stood and grabbed a pair of pants, stumbling into them in his haste. He punched in her number and waited, the unease growing with each ring on the other end. Finally, he heard April’s shaky voice pick up, muffled by blaring club music and loud yelling voices.

“Hello? April, you okay?”

“Andy,” she said. “I need your help…I need you to come get me.”

“April!” he let out a huge breath. “What’s wrong? Where are you?” He zipped up his maroon sweatshirt and grabbed Burly’s car keys off the counter. Burly was fast asleep—he’d never notice they were gone.

“I’m at the Snakehole Lounge,” she said softly. “I’m with a guy I went on a date with…it’s not going well and I need to get out of here. He’s drunk, just being a creep—”

“Are you okay?” he asked again. “Did he hurt you?” He didn’t even bother locking the front door behind him as he practically stumbled to the car.

“No,” her voice was getting cut off here and there, so much so that it was hard to make out what she was saying. “He’s just…super drunk…acting weird…told him I wanted to leave and he’s—“

“April?” Andy felt that dread returning. “April? Can you still hear me?”

“…don’t know if he put something in my drink. Please come,” she said softly, before the line was disconnected and it was silent once again.

Andy hadn’t driven that fast in a long, long time. He ignored the speed limits, praying there were no cops around to stop him. It wouldn’t look good if he was caught speeding in someone else’s car…especially since he didn’t exactly have a working license. Whatever…he would deal with that another day. Right now, April was in trouble.

 

The Snakehole was still packed when arrived in record time. To his immense luck, he managed to convince the bouncer at the door to let him in without paying the cover. Andy scanned the place quickly, looking for that familiar head of dark hair among the dozens of drinkers and dancers. He wound his way through the mass, ignoring those he bumped into who called out to him in their drunken stupor.

“April?” he called her name repeatedly, turning his head every which way. He was about to text her when he felt a tiny, light weight collide with his chest. April had found him first.

“Andy,” she breathed, her grip around his torso tight as a vice. Instinctively, he wrapped his own arms around her and held her close. “I’m sorry I made you come down here, I just—“

“No, hey, it’s fine. You okay?” he asked, resting his chin on the top of her head as the relief flooded his brain. “What happened?”

“I—“

“What the fuck, dude?” A tall, dark haired guy had joined them. To Andy, he looked to be near April’s age, maybe a couple years older. He’d certainly never seen him before. “April, what gives?” he slurred, clearly drunk. “Who’s—who is this guy?” he looked Andy up and down. “I’m Josh, her boyfriend.” 

Andy wanted to punch him in the face.

April scoffed. “Ugh, you’re not my boyfriend! Stop calling yourself that,” she said, rolling her eyes. Andy could feel her clench the back of his shirt in her fist. “This is Andy. He’s my friend, and he’s taking me home, so…bye.”

“No, he’s not,” the other man looked haughty and annoyed. “You’re here with me, not him. We’re not leaving yet, not until—“

“She’s leaving,” Andy interrupted and took a step forward, his voice low and hard. “She said she doesn't want to stay anymore. You’re drunk, and you’re not taking her anywhere.”

There were few things in life that really angered Andy, but a _big_ one was if people messed with his friends and loved ones. Stuff like that, well…he just couldn’t tolerate. He and April had become such good friends. If someone was treating her badly, he’d be there to make sure they stopped.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m her friend,” Andy growled. “and I’ll say it again. She told you she wants to go home, so I’m taking her out of here.”

“April,” Josh stumbled forward a bit and reached for her hand, pulling her toward him a few inches. “The least you could do is sleep with me…c’mon, don’t be such a bitch—“

 _“Hey,”_ Andy’s heart pumped furiously as the anger surged though his veins. It was a strange feeling to him, only because he didn't get this way very often. Without thinking, he grabbed Josh by the shirt and pulled him forward. “Don’t _ever_ talk to her like that. Seriously, don’t.”

“We’re leaving,” April said quickly, pulling him by the other hand. “Andy, let’s go.”

Andy didn’t break eye contact, even as April was leading him toward the door to the club. Josh stared at him, blinking a few times, but ultimately backed down and angrily stomped away.

They were silent until they were out of earshot of the club, and only then did April take a deep breath. Andy placed both hands on her shoulders, steadying her.

“You sure he didn’t hurt you?” Andy asked. “Do you feel funny? You said he put something in your drink… Seriously, I’ll go back in there and kick his ass—“

“No,” April shook her head. “I mean, he could have kept his hands to himself a few times, but that was it… I didn’t drink it. I still feel a bit sick though.”

“He should’ve never said those things to you,” Andy said softly.

“I’m just an idiot for agreeing to go out with him, that’s all,” April shrugged.

They walked the short distance to Andy’s—Burly’s—car, and Andy held the door open for her. Once they were both inside, he turned to her.

“You good?”

“I’m good,” she nodded. “Thank you, y’know, for saving me,” she chuckled softly.

“No problem,” Andy smiled, tapping his fingers idly on the steering wheel. “So, um, how did you meet that guy?”

“He goes to my community college,” she shrugged. “I had no idea he was such an ass, and he’d been asking me out for weeks.”

“Oh,” Andy nodded. He often forgot April was so much younger than him, and that meant he typically forgot she actually _went_ to college. Ann always used to get on his case about someday going back, but the idea never interested him. “So, I’ll drop you off at your house, then?”

“No,” April turned to him quickly. “No, I don’t wanna go home…my parents have been super lame lately. Just—just take me to Orin’s house. I can crash on his couch or something.”

“You wanna stay at my place?” he blurted it out so suddenly, he surprised himself.

April stared at him. Andy wasn’t sure where the idea came from, but he knew in that moment it was the right call.

“Yeah,” April gave him a soft smile. “That would be pretty cool.”

“Awesome.”

April Ludgate, the _coolest_ girl ever, was going to be staying at his place. He hoped she wouldn’t think any less of him after seeing where he lived…it wasn’t exactly spectacular. That didn’t stop him from feeling giddy the entire way back home though, and her quick, sideways glances in his direction as they drove bolstered that feeling the whole way home.

 

April stepped into the dark living room, following closely behind Andy. It was a small house, only one floor with a few rooms. It certainly looked like musicians lived there; instruments were everywhere. She recognized Andy’s guitar right away.

“Right this way,” Andy said, kicking aside a pair of sneakers.

“Is Burly home?” April asked, keeping her voice low.

“Yeah, but he’s sleeping,” Andy nodded. “He won’t care that you’re here. He brings his girlfriend over all the time.”

“Will he care that you borrowed his car?” she grinned.

“Only if he finds out. Here we go, right in here.”

April glanced around the tiny bedroom, if you could call it that. A futon was pushed up against the far wall, still spread out in the form of the bed with a blanket tossed to the side.

“Were you sleeping when I called you?” she asked.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t a big deal,” Andy shrugged. “I never make my bed anyway,” he swung his arms by his side. “I’ll be right back.”

April heard him rummaging around in what she could only assume was a closet. She kicked off her shoes and tossed her purse on the floor, perching on the edge of the futon while she waited.

She had no idea why she agreed to come here…she could have easily gone home or crashed at Orin’s. Yet, seeing Andy searching for her though the crowd, coupled with the fact that he came to rescue her in the first place, had awoken something warm in her. Whatever it was, she loved the feeling.

“Back,” Andy announced, his arms full of blankets. “These are like, Burly’s super special quilts or something. But he won’t care if I borrow them.”

April watched as Andy tried—and failed—to spread the blankets out neatly across the cushion.

“Andy, it’s fine,” she grasped his arm, and she could feel him tense up. “Sorry—“

“No, no,” he shook his head frantically. “I—I’m gonna sleep on the floor. Make yourself comfortable.”

She knew that was probably best. They were work friends, maybe even more than that, but still, she couldn’t help the little pang of disappointment.

“Andy?”

“Yeah?” he yawned, tossing his sweatshirt in the corner of the room.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. There weren’t many people she was grateful for in this life. She was happy to think that he was one of them.

His smile spread from ear to ear. “Any time,” he replied. “You’re like, the coolest girl ever. Anyone would be lucky to have a friend like you—“

Without thinking, she stood on her tip toes and gave him the lightest brush of a kiss on the cheek. He froze, his words hanging in the air.

“You’re pretty cool too,” she said. “And you don’t have to sleep on the floor.”

“I don’t want you to think I’m a creep—“

“I won’t,” she assured him. “Believe me, I won’t.”

That was the last thing on her mind. Especially once she’d bundled herself up in one of his huge tee shirts that nearly came down to her knees, the two of them huddled together in the cold room under about seven of Burly’s best quilts. Nothing was better than feeling him lying there beside her, although he kept his hands tucked against his sides for fear of brushing up against her and worrying that he’d crossed some sort of line.

“Sorry it’s so cold in here,” he whispered against the back of her head. “We keep the heat low so it’s cheaper.”

“It’s fine,” she shrugged. And it was, because his body heat was more than enough.

“I can move onto the floor—“

“Andy,” she sighed. “You’re fine.”

“I just don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Without another word, April scooted herself backwards until she felt her back resting against his chest. She could feel his sharp intake of breath, and his heart started pounding faster when she took hold of his hand and brought it around her side.

 _“You’re fine,”_ she said firmly. “God, Andy—“

“Sorry.”

 

Andy wasn't sure how long he stayed awake, but soon enough he heard April’s soft breathing beside him. He relaxed; the tension in his limbs loosening as the fear of his body betraying him drifted away.

She was beautiful while she slept. Well, she was beautiful all the time. But there was something special about looking at her now, her hair wild around her head and her eyes drooped. Her mouth no longer had her trademark scowl, giving way to slightly parted lips as she breathed softly.

He thought back on the events of the last couple of hours. It all came so easily to him, it was hard to imagine reacting any differently. He wouldn’t soon forget the way his adrenaline surged when he thought she was in trouble, or the way his anger pulsed when April’s date was horrible to her. He’d do anything for her, he realized. It was a comforting thought as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
